Forgiveness
by shoboni
Summary: After the mess with "Gabby Gums" Applebloom still has to apologize to one last pony. She learns that no matter what, some ponies are always there for you.


Applebloom could feel the cool evening breeze against her cream colored coat. The dirt of the old worn farm road crunched beneath her tiny hooves as she made her way towards the familiar sight of the old farmhouse. The last week had been disaster with the whole "Gabby Gums" incident. She and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders almost turned the whole town against them with that stupid gossip column. Even their own families were angry with them to the point of turning them away. Thank Celestia they managed to set it straight with everypony they could. She silently promised herself she'd never try anything like that again when it was over.

By the time she made it home she could see Luna's moon and stars silently glimmering in the night sky. She could feel the cold chill sink in as she began to cross the field towards the house. As she passed the old barn she could see a familiar red shape in the moonlight shoving a hay bale upon a pile. Only one pony she hadn't apologized to yet, her brother. She could barley imagine how embarrassing everyone seeing that picture of him with Twilight's old Smarty Pants doll must have been. She had never seen her normally calm elder brother get that angry before.

She played out her apology in her head as she nervously made her way over to the red stallion. She nervously choked out the words as she approached.

"B-Big brother? I-I'm"

She looked up as her brother turned around to face her. As he looked down up her a look of depression and disappointment painted his red face. She could almost swear she caught a glimpse of pain in his emerald green eyes before he closed them and turned his head away. His voice was flat and solemn as he spoke.

"Not right now sis."

"But I wanted to-"

Just leave me alone for a little while, okay?"

Applebloom hung her head as she turned away and slowly walked towards the house. Big Mac simply leaned against the pile of hay bales and drifted deeply into thought. When he opened that newspaper to see that picture of him and Smarty Pants it was the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him. He didn't even know why he kept the doll and liked it so much, just something about it made him happy. He looked up towards his sister in the distance, catching sight of her stopping to wipe her eyes with a hoof. He felt a pang of anger at himself as he looked away.

"_Stupid, stupid" _He thought to himself. _"She just wanted to apologize, now look what ah've done."_

He began to pace back and forth while he mentally kicked himself. Everypony else in town listened to her apology and forgave her along with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. Applejack had told him the whole story when she got home. He chewed himself even harder for acting like he was the only one to be humiliated, he already lectured all three crusaders when it happened and that was enough. He didn't need to be acting this way now when Applebloom was trying to set things right again.

"Ah better go find her."

Alone with his thoughts the trot up to the house seemed to take longer than he knew it really must have. It couldn't have been more than five minutes even at his slow pace, but it felt like hours as his own though berated him the whole way. Just because Applebloom screwed up and hurt her family didn't mean he had to do the same in reaction to it. He called out her name as he pushed open the door of the farm house with a creek, no answer. He began to worry as he made his way to the stairs, his hooves clicking on the wood floor with each brisk footstep. The stairs rattled and creaked as he quickly ascended them. He made his way to Applebloom's bedroom door at the end of the hall, stopping to listen before knocked.

He could hear faint sobbing on the other side of the door. With a sigh and one last mental kick to himself he knocked on the wooden door and called in.

"Sis, are ya okay?"

He was answered back with gentle sobbing from the other side of the door. He felt like kicking himself for asking such a stupid question. He called in again.

"Applebloom, can ah come in?"

"Why?"

"Ah just wanna talk."

"G-go ahead."

He eased the door open and stepped over the threshold. Applebloom laid curled up on the old fashioned four post bed with her face buried in her hooves. Big Mac let out a sigh as he trotted over and dropped to his haunches at her side. He rubbed the back of his head with a hoof as he thought about what to do, or say to calm her down. After what seemed like an eternity he reached out and placed a hoof around shoulders. She slowly looked up, tears still streaming down her face. Big Mac gently pulled her close with a barely audible whisper.

"Come on sis, its okay."

Applebloom buried her face in her pillow as she barely choked out the words through her tears

"Ah'm sorry b-big brother, ah I didn't know this would happen when I started writing that stupid column!"

Big Mac gently pulled his sister closer. Applebloom wrapped her fore hooves around her brother's neck and squeezed tight as she buried her face in his neck. Big Mac did his best to reassure her as she sobbed into his coat.

"I'm sorry to sis, ya'll just wanted to apologize. Ah should've listened instead of ignoring you like that."

Applebloom took a deep breath and replied as she began to calm down a little.

"Does this mean you're not still mad at me?

"Ah was just disappointed. Ya'll just made a mistake, but ya realized it an' tried to fix it and ah'm proud of ya for that."

Applebloom looked up with a smile as she calmed down, her sobbing quieted to sniffle.

"Ah love you big brother."

"Ah love you too sis".


End file.
